God's Promise to Claim

I love the promises of God. I claim every one of them. 

However, God will not keep a promise that He has not made. 

Here is an example of what I'm taking about. 

Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. 

Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 

7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. 

His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

If peace and understanding had a race, peace would win. 

Peace will guard your heart and mind; however, God doesn't promise to take your problem away.

If you learned it wrong, you'll live it wrong.  

You'll be expecting God to do what He never promised to do, which would be the removal of your problem.

Here is another example of believing God's Word wrong.  

Eve told the serpent that God said not to touch or eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  

If you did, you would die (Genesis 3:3). 

However, God had only said to Adam before Eve was created that you shall not eat it, or you shall die.  

God said nothing about touching the forbidden fruit. (Genesis 2:17).

Because Eve learned it wrong from Adam when she touched it, and didn't die. 

She doubted eating it would cause her death, which contributed to her downfall.

You may have heard it said that God will not give you more than you can bear which is something God never promised.

What He did say was...

1 Corinthians 10:13  (NLT)

13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. 

And God is faithful. 

He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. 

When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

God promised a way out for you to escape a temptation, and not to allow more than you can bear from any temptation. 

In addition, He did promise His peace while you are in the problem, but not it's removal(Philippians 4:6-7).  

1. Before claiming God's promise, make sure that you understand the promise being made.

2. Revisit the Scripture to check your understanding if God's promise is delayed.

3. Then, stand upon God's promise and trust God's peace to guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

M.H. Dennis in purple.

Apostle Paul in blue.

Jeremy Foster, Hope City Church speaking at Church of the Highlands
  
https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/learn-it-wrong-live-it-wrong      

God's Voice

You can recognize God's voice through developing your relationship with Him.  

In the beginning in Genesis, God spoke to Adam and in the end God spoke to John in Revelation.  

If we have a personal relationship with God, how can we do that without the ability to hear Him?  

Jesus said that He is not going to leave us as orphans (John 14:18).  

1. Our relationship with God is our highest priority.   

Genesis 3:8-10  (NKJV)

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

Look at the progression in verse 10 below.  They became afraid of the voice of God when they sinned.

10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

God was walking and talking with Adam in the beginning, so He sent His Son, Jesus, so that we can walk and talk with Him again.  

Only you can develop your relationship with God.  We can know His voice if we spend a lot of time with Him.  This is our highest priority. 

2. Our relationship with Him is our highest pursuit.  

There were two trees in the Garden of Eden.  The Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  

God never meant for us to live by choosing between good and evil, but by listening to His voice.  

God never wanted us to know Good or Evil.  Our question should be is it Good or is it God?  

God gave us a conscience when we sinned.  It's suppose to bring us to God, but it can't.  God never intended for us to live through our conscience.  

1 Timothy 1:5 (NKJV)

5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith,  

Romans 10:17 (NKJV)

17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

If you live by hearing the voice of God, you'll have a good conscience.  

  

Is God limited to your conscience?  What if you're getting it wrong?  God told Abraham to sacrifice his son.  Wouldn't that violate your conscience?  Adam and Eve lived by the voice of God before the fall.  

3. It's our highest passion.   

Luke 10:38-42 New King James Version (NKJV)

38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 

39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 

40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 

42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

The one thing that is needed is to sit at Jesus's feet and to hear His words.  Mary figured it out.  No one else can hear God's voice for you. 

On Mount Sinai, the people withdrew from the voice of God with fear, but Moses drew near (Exodus 20:18-21). 

He was the only one that God spoke to like a friend (Exodus 33:11).  Only you can draw near to God like a friend. 

If you are God's daughter or son, you can hear from God. 

Tell God, I'm going to do my best to develop my relationship with you and to hear your voice.  

Holy Spirit draw the readers of these words to you.  

Notes from Robert Morris, Gateway Church
http://gatewaypeople.com/ministries/life/events/frequency-2016/session/2016/06/11/recognize-through-relationship    

The Broken Family

We all come from a broken family.  Every person is broken.  We all have come from the first broken family which was Adam and Eve. We have genetic and spiritual DNA from them. 

Every person on the earth before the fall was in a perfect relationship with God and each other.  After the fall, all these relationships were broken.

  

Genesis 3:1-6 NKJV

1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. 

And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” 

2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 

3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 

4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 

5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food (lust of the flesh), that it was pleasant to the eyes (the lust of the eyes), and a tree desirable to make one wise (the pride of life), she took of its fruit and ate. 

She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

Sin started with the questioning of the Word of God by Satan. The serpent contradicts God.  Adam was right there with her when the serpent tempted her. 

I John 2:16 NKJV

16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

1. When they sinned, they experienced shame. 

Genesis 3:7-11 NKJV

7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves covering (shame). 

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 

9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” (No one told them to hid.  They were experiencing shame.) 

10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”  (They were hiding from God and each other.  They were the only two living people on the earth). 

11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”

Genesis 3:21 NKJV

21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.

God made them a covering from animal skin; therefore, the animals had to die to cover them for their shame like His Son Jesus eventually did for us.  

Revelation 3:18 NKJV

18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

Isaiah 61:10 NKJV

10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,My soul shall be joyful in my God;

For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Righteousness means to be in right standing with God.  The only way to be right with God is by accepting Jesus's death for our sins. 

Romans 4:3 NKJV

3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Romans 4:3 NKJV

3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

When Abraham believed, righteousness was deposited into his account because of his faith.  

When Jesus died on the Cross, he died for all mankind.  Righteousness was deposited into everyone's account, but it must be retrieved by faith like Abraham.  

Mankind's sin was deposited into Jesus's account, which He has already died for.

Satan tells you that you are worse than anyone else. That's another one of his lies. 

2. When we sin, we blame God for our sins and others. 

Genesis 3:11-13 NKJV

11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” 

12 Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” 

13 And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Adam blamed the woman, and God who gave her to him.  We'll say it's not my fault, or it's all my fault.  Both are wrong.  

This leads us to blame God and others. Don't live with blame.  It comes from Satan. He accuses the brethren.  Before you accuse someone, you are accusing a family member and acting like Satan.

Revelation 12:10 NKJV

10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

3. Fame. It's wanting to be recognized.

God did not curse them.  He told them about the curse that they brought upon themselves.

Genesis 3:20 NKJV

20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.

Eve means life. God didn't name Eve, but Adam did.  He labeled her distinct from himself. 

Before the fall they were both called Adam.  Adam means mankind.  

Genesis 5:2 KJV

2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

Genesis 5:2 NKJV

2 He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind

(Adam) in the day they were created.

 Adam gave her a purpose which is childbearing. Women's highest calling is not child birth.  

Your highest calling is to be a child. A child of God.  If you do this, you will be a good parent. 

When your child grows up, you still have your purpose which is to be a child of God.  

It became a competition after the fall of mankind.  You can see a spirit of competition in the family.  That's why Cain killed Abel.

People eventually rebel about being in a family.  They want to be an individual.  

What's the answer?  Jesus Christ.  

Acts 3:25 NKJV

25 You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed (Jesus) all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ 

Jesus, please come into my life

and be my Lord and Savior.  

I give to you my past and my 

future.  Be the center of my

life.

http://gatewaypeople.com/ministries/life/events/blessed-families-a-gateway-series/session/2018/10/13/the-broken-family

Notes from Robert Morris, Gateway Church